
A moderate growth portfolio allocation is a great way to balance risk and reward for long-term success. This type of portfolio typically consists of 40-60% stocks and 40-60% bonds.
Investing in a mix of stocks and bonds can help you ride out market fluctuations and provide a steady stream of income. For example, a portfolio with 50% stocks and 50% bonds can help you achieve a moderate growth rate of 7-8% per year.
A key principle of a moderate growth portfolio is to focus on quality over quantity. By investing in a smaller number of high-quality stocks and bonds, you can reduce your risk and increase your potential returns.
Investing in a mix of domestic and international stocks can also help you achieve a moderate growth rate. For instance, a portfolio with 30% domestic stocks and 20% international stocks can provide a more diversified portfolio and potentially higher returns.
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Investment Strategy
The Moderate Growth Portfolio invests entirely in the Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund. This fund is a mix of Vanguard Mutual Funds, carefully selected to match the portfolio's investment objectives and policies.

The Moderate Growth Fund allocates 60% of its assets to common stocks and 40% to fixed income securities. This balanced approach helps to minimize risk and maximize returns.
The fund's indirect stock holdings are a diversified mix of U.S. and foreign large-, mid-, and small-capitalization stocks. This diversification helps to spread risk and increase potential for growth.
The Moderate Growth Fund's board of trustees allocates the fund's assets among the underlying funds based on the fund's investment objectives and policies. They may change these allocations from time to time without shareholder approval.
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Investment Strategy
Investing in a diversified portfolio can help reduce risk, as seen in the Moderate Growth Portfolio, which invests in a mix of Vanguard Mutual Funds. This portfolio allocates approximately 60% of its assets to common stocks and 40% to fixed income securities.
The Moderate Growth Portfolio's stock holdings are a diversified mix of U.S. and foreign large-, mid-, and small-capitalization stocks. The fixed income holdings include a mix of short-, intermediate-, and long-term U.S. government, U.S. agency, and Investment Grade U.S. corporate bonds.
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The Moderate Growth Fund's board of trustees allocates the fund's assets among the underlying funds based on the fund's investment objectives and policies. These allocations can be changed from time to time without shareholder approval.
A moderate allocation approach, like the one used in the Moderate Growth Portfolio, can help smooth out the ride by investing in numerous different areas. This approach had relatively low volatility, as measured by standard deviation.
Here's a comparison of different funds that use a moderate allocation strategy:
Note that the performance of these funds is very similar, indicating the effectiveness of a moderate allocation strategy in reducing risk.
Investment Objective
The investment objective is clear: to provide capital appreciation. This means the goal is to grow your investment over time.
A low to moderate level of current income is also a key objective. This suggests that the investment is designed to balance growth with some regular income.
Investment Risks and Benefits
A moderate growth portfolio allocation is a great way to balance your investments, but it's essential to understand the potential risks and benefits.
The Moderate Growth Portfolio seeks to provide capital appreciation and a low to moderate level of current income.
One of the benefits of a moderate growth portfolio is that it has the potential to grow faster than inflation over the long term, helping to protect your purchasing power. However, all investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.
The portfolio's asset allocation is 60% common stocks and 40% fixed income securities, which can provide a decent amount of exposure to the stock market while smoothing out the ups and downs of the market. The bond portion can also provide some income and "total return", which can be reinvested for future growth.
However, there are also risks associated with a moderate growth portfolio, including interest rate risk, credit quality risk, and international investing risk. Additionally, the use of derivatives can expose the fund to additional volatility and potential losses.
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Here are some of the potential risks associated with a moderate growth portfolio:
- Interest rate risk: A rise in interest rates can cause the price of a fixed rate debt instrument to fall and its yield to rise.
- Credit quality risk: A loan borrower or issuer of a debt instrument could suffer an adverse change in financial condition that results in a payment default.
- International investing risk: Non-U.S. securities tend to be more volatile and have lower overall liquidity than investments in U.S. securities.
- Emerging markets risk: Investments in emerging market countries are subject to greater risk and overall volatility than investments in the U.S. and other developed markets.
- Derivatives risk: The use of derivatives exposes the fund to additional volatility and potential losses.
It's essential to periodically review your investments to make sure they are still in line with your needs and to understand the costs associated with the portfolio. The ABLEnow Moderate Growth Portfolio has an asset-based fee of 0.38%, which means you'll pay an annual fee of about 38 cents for every $100 you've invested in the fund.
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Investor Profile and Mix
For investors seeking a middle-of-the-road approach, a moderate growth portfolio is a great option. It emphasizes stocks for potential capital appreciation while also producing significant income to temper volatility.
Investors with intermediate- to long-term investment goals are a good fit for this type of portfolio. It's also suitable for variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts.
A moderate investor might aim for a 50/50 or 60/40 stock-to-bond mix. However, specific allocations may vary, such as the example of 22% Large-Cap, 8% Mid-Cap, and 40% Diversified Fixed-Income.
Here's a breakdown of a sample moderate portfolio model:
Alternatively, a four-fund approach can provide a simplified moderate exposure: 40% Total Bond Market Index Fund, 30% Total Stock Market Index Fund, 24% Total International Stock Index Fund, and 6% REIT Index Fund.
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Key Considerations

A moderate growth portfolio allocation is a great way to balance risk and return, aiming for steady growth over the long-term.
To achieve this, it's essential to consider your investment horizon, which should be at least 5-7 years to ride out market fluctuations.
In a moderate growth portfolio, you'll typically allocate 40-60% of your funds to stocks, with the remaining 40-60% in bonds and other fixed income investments.
It's also crucial to diversify your stock holdings, spreading your risk across different asset classes, such as domestic and international stocks, as well as different sectors.
A moderate growth portfolio often includes a mix of growth and income stocks, with a focus on established companies with a strong track record of performance.
Regular portfolio rebalancing is also important to ensure your investments remain aligned with your target asset allocation.
By considering these key factors, you can create a moderate growth portfolio that meets your financial goals and risk tolerance.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 12/20/80 rule?
The 12/20/80 rule suggests allocating 12 months of expenses in liquid funds, 20% of investable surplus in gold, and 80% in a diversified equity portfolio for a balanced investment strategy. This rule helps individuals manage risk and achieve long-term financial stability.
Sources
- https://markets.businessinsider.com/funds/eq-american-century-moderate-growth-allocation-portfolio-class-ib-us2689542114
- https://www.ablenow.com/blog/articles/able-to-invest-moderate-growth-portfolio/
- https://www.ablenow.com/save/investment-options/moderate-growth-portfolio-new/
- https://www.troweprice.com/financial-intermediary/us/en/investments/mutual-funds/us-products/moderate-allocation-portfolio.html
- https://www.approachfp.com/profile-of-moderate-investor/
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